After months of pressure from Greenpeace on its alleged links to deforestation in Indonesia, KFC UK/Ireland has adopted a forest policy that excludes fiber sourced via conversion of tropical rainforests. The policy excludes suppliers like Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), the Chinese/Indonesian forestry giant that has been the primary target of the Greenpeace campaign, but appears to apply only to Kentucky Fried Chicken operations in Britain and Ireland. (KFC-Indonesia suspended purchases from APP in July).

Greenpeace immediately applauded the decision and called on KFC’s global parent, YUM! Brands, to also adopt the policy.

“KFC UK/I is just one of the 100+ countries that KFC, and their parent company Yum! Brands operate in,” wrote Ian Duff in a post on Greenpeace’s official blog. “We need to keep the pressure on bosses at Yum!’s HQ in the US so that they follow in KFC UK/I’s footsteps. They must introduce a global policy to rule out companies like APP who are actively involved in rainforest clearance.”

Greenpeace is targeting APP for its forest management practices on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Greenpeace, along with other environmental groups and independent researchers, has accumulated substantial evidence linking APP and its suppliers to large-scale clearing of Sumatra’s forests for pulp and paper production. Some of the areas APP has cleared and converted to industrial timber plantations include carbon-rich peatlands and critical habitat for endangered species, like the Sumatran tiger.

In its campaign to get APP to end natural forest clearance, Greenpeace has gone after a number of prominent companies, many of which have now dropped APP as a supplier. Greenpeace linked KFC to APP through a year long investigation that turned up evidence of rainforest fiber — known as mixed topical hardwood (MTH) — in KFC’s packaging. Contrary to initial claims by APP, the MTH uncovered during lab tests was not found in layers containing recycled fiber, indicating it originated from natural forests. KFC UK/Ireland says it has now dropped APP as a supplier, according to BusinessGreen.

KFC UK/Ireland’s new policy also commits the company to use as much recycled fiber as possible. In cases where virgin fiber is required — for “health safety” — KFC UK/Ireland says it will only use material from operations managed “in a sustainable fashion such that natural habitats are protected”. All fiber suppliers must be certified under a third party standard and KFC UK/Ireland says it aims to move toward sourcing 100 percent its fiber from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified operations. The company has also committed to sourcing 100 percent of its palm oil from suppliers certified under the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), another eco-standard.

“We regard sustainable procurement as important for all commodities,” KFC UK/Ireland said in a statement.

KFC UK/Ireland’s policy is another blow for APP, which has suffered from widespread customer defections and lost its accreditation under the FSC over the past five years. The paper giant however recently announced its own forest policy, which it says will reduce its reliance on natural forest fiber and improve its environmental performance going forward. In February, APP contracted The Forest Trust, an NGO, to assess its concessions for High Conservation Value Forest, which APP says it is now committed to protect. APP also recently retained lobbying powerhouse Covington & Burling LLP to help boost its image abroad, according to Politico.

Disney this week announced sweeping changes to its paper-sourcing policy that will exclude fiber produced via the destruction of tropical rainforests.

The policy comes in response to a campaign by the Rainforest Action Network, an environmental activist group that had targeted Disney for its lack of safeguards to exclude paper produced by two controversial Indonesian suppliers: Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) and Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings (APRIL). The paper giants have been linked with destruction of key wildlife habitat on the Indonesian island of Sumatra as well as conflict with local communities. Sumatra lost more than half its natural forest cover since 1985.

The new policy has two phases. The first focuses on paper sourced directly by Disney, which is the largest publisher of children’s books and magazines. The second addresses paper sourced by Disney’s independent licensees.

RAN protest against Disney in 2010. Photo: Margery Epstein

The policy aims to minimize the consumption of paper, including eliminating paper products containing “irresponsibly harvested” fiber like that from....read more

Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), a forestry giant that has been heavily criticized for destroying rainforests and peatlands in Indonesia, will temporarily suspend clearing of natural forest areas until conservation assessments have been conducted.

In a statement issued Tuesday, APP said the moratorium on forest clearing will take effect June 1 for concessions owned outright by its subsidiaries. APP said its “independently owned” pulpwood suppliers will be expected to come into compliance by December 31, 2014. APP had earlier pledged to cease conversion of natural forests by 2015, after missing previous commitments in 2004, 2007 and 2009.

APP called the move “the ‘next natural evolution’ of its sustainability strategy” and said it aims to adopt “internationally-recognized standards” for assessing High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF) areas. It added that the HCVF assessments “will be based on a multi-stakeholder approach” and adhere to “HCV Resource Network best practice”.

Once the surveys are complete, APP “will protect all identified HCVF areas as a result of the HCVF assessments.”

Greenpeace’s anti-APP stunt at Mattel’s headquarters on June 8, 2011.

In addition to hundreds of thousands of hectares of eucalyptus and acacia plantations, APP and its suppliers hold concessions to vast areas of forest across Jambi and Riau Provinces on the island of Sumatra. Typically these forest areas would be cleared, with trees used to feed its giant pulp and paper mills, and then planted with fast-growing non-native tree species.

APP will “engage” with its independent suppliers to adopt the HCVF assessment protocol and “review and reevaluate supply agreements where HCVF assessments are not conducted.”

World Leaders in Pulp & Paper, Water Management Join Forces

Representatives from Asia Pacific Nalco and Asia Pulp and Paper Group (APP) complete a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to embark on a research and development program to reduce APP’s water footprint across all aspects of its Indonesia and China operations. APP and Nalco will also work together to create programs to provide healthier clean water to local Indonesian communities.

APP Overview

APP is one of the world’s leading pulp and paper companies and is ranked one of the largest vertically integrated pulp & paper producer in Asia, excluding Japan.

Its combined pulp, paper and packaging capacities in Indonesia amount to over 7 million tonnes, using fiber from plantations and wood residues of plantation development. APP currently has its principal operations located in Indonesia, and markets its products to more than 65 countries on six continents.

Over the years it has expanded its operations significantly, through acquisitions and expansions in several of its pulp and paper mills. It is APP’s commitment to customer satisfaction that enables us to grow our share in paper sales worldwide and broadening our presence through marketing offices in many countries.

“Tradition and modernity go hand in hand” is key to the company’s success. We always esteem long term relationships with our customers as a part of our eastern tradition whilst we are also eager to embrace modern values as continuous innovation, efficiency and punctuality.